Garden :: Planting Flowers in June

An excuse for many would-be gardeners this time of year is that they just missed out and will have to wait till next spring to get their seeds planted and gardens tended. Well stop making poor excuses! June, and even July, can still be optimum times to plant the right kinds of flowers to make your gardens burst with color right into the dog days of summer, and it gives you a great chance to prep for next spring as well.

Rely on Annuals

If you’re late to the dance then bring annuals along as your date. These flowers that grow, bloom, and die in one season are perfect for June planting because they grow quickly especially if they’re transplanted from a nursery pot. But don’t feel like you have to use potted plants exclusively. The warmer soil in June paired with fresh rain and nutrients makes seeds explode out of the ground so quickly you’ll swear you can see the plants growing in front of your eyes. Give these annuals a shot this summer:

Sunflowers: I like to put these along south facing walls and towards the back of gardens so they can grow tall without blocking other plants. They can also turn into a great craft for kids when they dry out by making sunflower art.

Marigolds: The many different species of marigolds offer a lot of variety for gardeners, and you can plant these from seed well into June. They are versatile and can grow in shade as well as direct sunlight, and vary in height and density so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Foxgloves: While some gardeners in more rural locations might consider this a weed in their garden, foxgloves are easy to grow and add height and a lot of color to your garden. An added bonus is that deer and other grazers will leave these flowers alone as they find them poisonous.

These are just a few examples of the different kinds of annuals that you can plant in early summer. These will bloom in mid to late summer, so even if you’ve done some planting earlier in the spring, flushing out your garden with these later bloomers can keep your flower garden blooming late into the fall.

Depending on where you’re located, it can be important to get shade friendly flowers if the sun is hot and harsh in the early summer as this can damage new shoots. If you want to be future minded, take this time in early summer to start growing perennials and biennials that will be ready to bloom next spring.